


Bloodlines

by girlskylark



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Castles, Character Turned Into Vampire, Demisexual/Demiromantic Lotor, Demisexuality, Dracula Influence/References, Ghosts, Human/Vampire Relationship, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Lotor and Keith are bros, Lotor is one of the good guys, Loyalty, M/M, Necromancer Lance, Necromancy, Pining Lance (Voltron), Skyrim Influences, Underworld, Vampire Bites, Vampire Keith (Voltron), Vampire Lotor, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 02:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13649937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlskylark/pseuds/girlskylark
Summary: When Keith saves Lotor from an otherwise unbreakable sleep cycle, Keith is thrust into the world of the vampires and their rebellion against the humans. Lotor unintentionally drags Keith into his family issues revolving around his father's thirst for human blood, and his mother's insistence on stopping it. But really, all Keith wants is the golden reward for bringing King Alfor information on Zarkon's ultimate weapon—a portal that opens to the Underworld.The plan gets complicated the second Zarkon turns Keith into a vampire against his will. Now stuck as a vampire in a castle filled with blood-thirsty beasts, Keith is assigned a human companion—Lance—who studies the art of necromancy when he isn't on the job. Together, they seek to hunt down Lotor and the portal to get the hell off the island before things go terribly,terriblywrong.[ Based on the vampire storyline in SKYRIM because I JUST WANT TO MARRY SERANA, BUT SHE'S A VAMPIRE AND YOU CAN'T MARRY VAMPIRES IN SKYRIM. Screw you Bethesda. ]





	Bloodlines

**Author's Note:**

> Keitor is gonna be on the down-low. I'll be writing Lotor as demiromantic/demisexual, so romance isn't exactly his priority ESPECIALLY WHEN THE FATE OF MANKIND IS AT STAKE. He's just got mad respect for Keith's vampire-fighting abilities, and Keith has mad respect for Lotor's good looks.
> 
> This fic is for reaching 800+ followers on Tumblr :D YAY I'm so happy you guys stuck with me since season 1 when I first discovered the world of writing fanfiction.

Keith ripped his dagger from the throat of one of his victims. Their gasps turned to sputtering, blood-soaked gargles as Keith flicked the blood off of the dagger. With their mouth wide open, the dried bloodstains on their cheeks turning into fresh, seeping rivulets. Keith could see the fangs people tended to fear. What he couldn’t see, though, was why he needed to worry, especially when he just took out three vampires on his own without a problem.

He stepped away from the border of the crater. The cavern was cemented with decorative gargoyle statues carved into the rugged, stone walls. The crater was surrounded by them, and Keith walked between their shadows and stepped around them. He located his target—the center where the torches surrounded a pillar holding the center of the cavern up, vaulting it high over Keith’s head. 

Blood spilled over the edge of the basin, and dripped from one step to the next. His feet traveled with the splatter of blood from the human massacres that occurred before Keith ever interrupted the ritual. Vampires were all about them—rituals, anyway. Keith found it archaic, and bloody, and preferred not to participate if it meant he could live another day instead of sacrificing all of his blood to the cause. He couldn’t blame humans like him for hating vampires, but he could also see why it was best to just stay out of the fray. 

But… Keith’s hunt for wealth required it once in a while.

The pillar was surrounded on all sides by the broken, cracked ridges of stairs that Keith wandered down. He looked around him, paranoid that he might have missed someone, but it was just the three vampires, it seemed. The pillar was decorated with the figure of five women emerged from all sides of the pillar, sculpted with their hands raised over their heads, draped across the wisps of their hair. It seemed to be the only structure in the cavern that wasn’t crumbling—even the gargoyles were missing arms and chunks out of their wings.

“Someone must have spent a lot of time with this…” Keith hummed, running his finger over the smooth, flat surface of one side of the pillar.

His fingers ran over the corner edge, and to the crack he searched for. 

Again, he glanced behind him before reaching for the dagger at his hip. It was sharp, unlike his dulled, throwing knives. He hoped the guy who led him here wasn’t bullshitting about this part. _Human blood_. He pulled his hand away and pressed the tip of the dagger to his finger. The short, hooked end shook as he hesitated.

“ _Fuck_ , come on, this is nothing,” Keith hissed to himself, and hooked the tip of the blade in, and arced it up. Immediately, the bead of blood bubbled and seeped. 

He dragged the bleeding end of his finger down the narrow divot in the pillar. The blood leaked down, gravity pulling it along, until Keith heard the audible thumb of something trying to break through the pillar. 

Keith staggered back, nearly tripping over the blood-soaked steps. He hesitated, and listened again for the thump to come again. When it did, the pillar budged, a slit splitting above him horizontally. The pillar cracked, and the opening Keith was looking for began to break apart. 

Keith’s heart started to hum—this was it. He just needed another hint, another _clue_ , and he’d be one step closer to collecting all the gold the King was willing to fork over for this information—

A piece of rock was punched out, and Keith’s racing heart plummeted. 

Fingers latched on to the edge of the rock, and there came the audible sound of someone’s voice, raspy, grunting from the exertion of fighting through the confines of the pillar.

Instinct told Keith to hold his dagger up, and braced himself on the steps as the opening of the pillar was pushed completely forward. Keith hurried back, avoiding it as it crashed and shattered on the steps. His eyes were up, and focusing on the man standing in the pillar opening, clutching to the edge of it to stay standing.

Keith faltered, eyes widening as he watched the most beautiful specimen he ever saw stagger towards him, tired, amber eyes looking up to meet Keith’s. Keith swallowed hard, and reminded himself to keep the dagger up, no matter how much he yearned to reach out.

The man opened his mouth to speak, and all Keith saw were sharp teeth.

“Stay back,” Keith hissed. “Where is it. Where’s the portal.”

The man’s white hair dipped forward over his shoulders. It was long, impossibly so, and Keith was suddenly struck by the realization that this vampire could have been stuck in there for twice Keith’s lifetime.

All that time, without a drop of blood.

“D-Do you know where it is?” Keith demanded, and cursed himself for stammering. 

The man had his eyes on Keith’s bloody hand, but straightened to face Keith, despite his hunger. “Yes, I do. It’s why I am here,” he said, and laid a shaky hand over his chest, where a weathered cloak was pinned over his collarbone. “My name is Lotor, what is yours?”

Keith blinked. _No, don’t hold back_. He raised the dagger more, reminding them both to stay completely still. 

“Keith Kogane. How long have you been locked in there.”

“It’s… hard to say. Time doesn’t mean much to me,” he confessed, and his hand clenched the edge of his armored chest plate. “I will show you where the portal is if that’s all you need. In return—”

“Yeah, I know what you want,” Keith said, and somehow managed to keep the venom out of his voice. “I’ll give it to you. No funny business.”

The vampire—Lotor—seemed to smile at the comment. He stepped hesitantly forward, and Keith reached for his right arm, tugging his glove off and holding his exposed wrist up to the vampire. 

It was difficult to tell with vampires just what they planned to do with a bite. He never willingly fed one, but he knew of plenty of people who’d gone through hell and back just because of one. It was a toss-up between just an innocent feast, becoming an eternal food-source servant, or becoming a vampire yourself. But… Keith figured that his worse case scenario was death, and his best case scenario was the King’s gold. To get the gold, he needed to pacify a vampire or two to do it.

Lotor ducked forward, impossibly cold fingers wrapping themselves around Keith’s clenched fist and elbow. Keith found himself studying the degradation of Lotor’s cloak, eyes traveling past his white hair to the white, beaded bracelet on Lotor’s wrist. Keith wondered if Lotor could hear his heartbeat quicken, or feel it when his fingers touched Keith’s warm skin. Lotor didn’t waste a second numbing Keith’s skin before sinking his teeth in. Keith couldn’t feel a thing, but he could hear it. He felt Lotor’s lips around the numbed spot, and the strain on his limb. His fingers started to turn numb, and before he could push the guy off, Lotor was already stepping away, the back of his hand over his mouth.

Keith hadn’t even realized how faint Lotor’s amber eyes were until Lotor blinked them open then, and turned their striking orange irises onto Keith.

“Thank you. I know it isn’t always pleasant—I can get more when we return to the island.”

“I take it you drink from humans frequently,” Keith commented, rubbing a hand over the marks on his wrist. As the numbness wore off, the piercings burned. When he looked down at the mark, his skin was completely healed. 

“Always. I normally only drink from people who are willing, so I promise not to ask more from you,” Lotor reassured him, and Keith was surprised by his own ability to forgive Lotor. He knew that, had he been trapped in a pillar, he would fight anyone and anything on the other side just to get out.

“We have humans that live in my father’s home on their own accord. Normally, it’s people who owe us a great deal for saving their lives, and for giving them shelter and food,” he explained, walking ahead as Keith struggled to keep up, physically and mentally. One moment Lotor was barely able to stand, and the next, he was striding up the steps leading out of the basin. 

“So… this portal…” Keith drawled, jogging to keep up. “I was sort of expecting to find it _here_ …”

“The portal isn’t a constant,” Lotor explained, eyeing Keith’s victims on the ground. He glanced back at Keith, who shrugged in response. “It opens when summoned. It’s what makes it such an incredible weapon to awful people.”

Keith hesitated in the shadows of the gargoyles before shaking his head and saying, “Wait, that makes it sound like you don’t agree with it. You’re… a vampire, though. Wouldn’t you want the power of the portal?”

“A fight is only fair when you don’t involve curses from the gods…” Lotor hummed, and turned just as Keith caught up. They both hesitated, staring at one another even as Lotor’s gaze flickered down to the blood still collecting on Keith’s fingertip. Keith clamped his free hand over it, and Lotor grinned. “So no, I’d prefer to live in peace with the humans. My father might not say the same, but… that’s for another time. To thank you for helping break the sleep cycle I was put in, I’ll keep him from involving you. Everything we need to stop people from using the portal is at the island, though, so we must go there if we ever—”

“Wait, wait, _stop_ people from using the portal?” Keith repeated, waving his hands in front of him. “I don’t—I don’t _need_ the portal. I just need to know where it is, or… how to open it. Anything involved with opening it, I just—I need to _know_. That’s what King Alfor’s asking for, so that’s all I need—”

“King Alfor?” Lotor repeated. “I don’t… I’ve never…”

“Dear gods, he’s the current king. How long were you in that damn pillar?” Keith groaned, rolling his head back. “The entire kingdom’s been searching for the portal to close it, or… to toss vampires into it. You’ve missed a lot, but… there’s rumors that you all are planning on using the portal against us to take over the entire kingdom. Start an apocalypse, and reign over it all.”

Lotor blinked at him, and turned away, rubbing a blood-stained finger over his chin. “Well… that does sound right from when I was last up and about… But last I heard, details about the portal was restricted to the vampire communities. What changed?”

Keith stared at him, and after overcoming his confusion, ended with a sigh, and wandered tiredly past Lotor. Lotor tried to object, and hurried after Keith, saying, “Wait, what is it? What’s happened since then? How has news of the portal spread so quickly?”

“I’m starting to think that your version of ‘quickly’ is _far_ different from mine,” Keith said, laughing to himself as he led the way out of the cavern.

 

* * *

 

“You… failed to mention that ‘home’ involved a fucking _castle_ ,” Keith said as Lotor leaned over the edge of the boat to grab hold of the nearest wooden post. He pulled them towards the dock, grunting with the effort, and put a hand on his hip after succeeding.

“Yes, well, I didn’t think it was necessary. Pass me the rope, please?” Lotor asked, waving his hand to the side. Keith leaned forward, checking under his seat, and unraveled the clump of rope there. Lotor took it from his hands and wrapped it expertly around the post.

“Is this… all that’s on the island? I don’t know why I was expecting a city,” Keith confessed, and Lotor laughed. Keith’s ears flushed as he climbed out of the boat and rose to his feet with Lotor beside him. 

He’d never heard a thing about this island or what it looked like. There were fabled, mysterious stories about where vampires lingered when they weren’t bothering humans, but no one had been successful finding it. This coast tended to be enshrouded with fog except for a short window in the winter—it wasn’t enough to scour the waters for the island, that was for sure. But… Lotor found it perfectly without a hitch, which led Keith to believe that if he ever planned to escape the island if things went to shit, he would likely get lost out on the waters and starve to death before he ever reached land.

_Well, shit, what a way to trap yourself,_ he thought, staring out at the fog before he felt a gentle tug on his cloak. He turned back to find Lotor already jumping off the dock steps, and heading to the stone bridge.

It was difficult for Keith’s mind to fathom the extend of this castle. As they walked the long length of the stone bridge, Keith’s gaze went higher and higher, to where black birds were circling the towers, and the wide, heavy, stone-brick front of the castle. There was a balcony over their heads, overlooking the bridge. Keith kept his gaze forward after catching a glimpse of someone peering down at them. They were too far away for Keith to see the look on their face before they turned away and walked inside.

Lotor didn’t acknowledge it, or the fact that it felt like the gargoyles’ eyes were following them. They were in the shadow of the front door, crafted of heavy oak and iron reinforcements. It would take an army to break through it. There was a iron wrought chandelier overhead, but it was too high for the orange glow to even reach them. 

The mist from the ocean was already weighing Keith’s cloak down, and his hair was likely damp over his forehead as Lotor stopped him at the entrance. 

“Wait a moment, please,” Lotor said, and Keith wasn’t used to how polite this guy was being. What he _was_ used to, was the shit he got from reckless people in taverns. “If we’re going to keep my father’s attention off of you, you’ll have to sneak off in the foyer. There’s a statue on a pedestal in there—behind it you can find a—”

Lotor broke off at the sound of a heavy lock coming undone on the other side of the door.

“So much for that,” Keith murmured, and tried not to panic as the door pushed towards them.

A man blocked their entry, at least an entire foot taller than the both of them. Keith never really considered himself to be a short person, by any means, but standing next to Lotor and this vampire had him feeling just as weak as they probably viewed him. Keith didn’t exactly have unbreakable skin, or the speed of a predator. 

“Sendak, lovely to see you again,” Lotor said, donning a charming smile as he drew Sendak’s attention away from Keith. Lotor stepped forward, reaching his arms out. He wrapped Sendak up in a short hug, clapping his hands on Sendak’s shoulders afterwards as the big, burly man beamed. 

“I can’t believe my eyes,” he said, laughing. He had a deep, husky voice that reverberated through Keith’s bones. The man had sharp, but broad features, down to the trimmed shape of his beard. “It’s incredible to see you again. I was certain Narvok was seeing things when he said he saw you walking up to the gate.”

“I wouldn’t believe him either. It’s been too long,” Lotor laughed, and turned to gesture to Keith. “This young man freed me. Keith, this is Dommik Sendak, a close friend of my father’s. He’s been around for… quite some time longer than I have.”

Sendak’s narrow, amber eyes turned to Keith then, who swallowed hard and managed a strained smile. He wished he could hold his dagger now, but Lotor gave him pointers on the boat ride over here. Don’t seem like a threat. Don’t _be_ a threat.

“Nice to… meet you,” Keith said, and grimaced as Sendak turned away. He saw the way Sendak looked at Lotor—disapproving of his companion. Sendak pushed the door further, and stood against it as Lotor walked in, trailing Keith behind him with a light tug on his cloak. Keith stared at Sendak as he walked past, but the moment Sendak’s eyes fell upon him, he turned away, clenching his teeth.

Nothing sat right with him in regards to _Dommik Sendak_.

When the door closed behind them, uttering a lingering _boom_ across the stone walls, Keith couldn’t help but flinch a little, and step closer to Lotor. Lotor looked over at him, and in low undertones, whispered, “Let me do the talking. I’m not sure what’s changed.”

“Yeah, deal,” Keith said with a relieved laugh. Lotor snickered, and Keith was reassured by their temporary alliance. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to find himself in a vampire stronghold, but… it was either this, death, or wasting away as one of those drunkards in the taverns. He really needed to lighten up on his drinking habits if he ever planned to stay alive long enough to experience the wealth of the King’s gold.

Beyond the foyer, Keith watched a chandelier come into view, unfathomably larger than the one outside. The orange glow illuminated a silhouetted balcony railing, and as they walked up to it, Sendak’s footsteps passed around them, and his voice carried over an expansive dining room striped with tables full of people, and the smell of stale lavender.

“Lord Zarkon—the rumor is true. Your son has returned,” he said, already starting down the steps on either side of the balcony. Keith looked after him, and found Sendak staring sourly at him. “And… he’s brought a human friend.”

“Friend is… a bit of an exaggeration. Keith Kogane freed me, and helped escort me here. Were it not for him, I might never have found my way home, or died trying,” Lotor said, voice faltering as they both watched a man rise from across the room.

He was built similarly to Sendak in his broad structure, and bearded appearance. His hair was all pure white, and eyes strikingly red. Despite the distance, they seemed to glow, and Keith could see them as clear as if he was standing directly before him. The name Sendak used echoed in Keith’s skull, and his brain began to feel as though it was submerged in water. He couldn’t hear a thing aside from what broke past the liquid sloshing in his ears like blood pounding in his veins. 

_Lord Zarkon, founder and leader of the resistance against the royal bloodline._

Keith turned to stare at Lotor, but his eyes returned to where Zarkon was walking down the middle of the tables, across the stretch of scarlet red carpet. Lotor turned, gesturing for Keith to follow as he descended the stairs. It took a moment for Keith to catch on, because he was too busy meeting Lord Zarkon’s gaze to bother.

He hurried down, and walked over the scarlet carpet to reach Lotor’s father. Keith glanced over at the tables filled with vampires, every last one of them standing now as they watched the reunion unfold. The moment Lotor was close enough, Lord Zarkon laughed, smiling wide as he held his arms out wide. 

“Father…”

“I am so glad that you’re _alive_ ,” Zarkon said, voice hoarse as he laughed against Lotor’s shoulder. His eyes were closed, and Keith was relieved that he got a brief moment without the glowing red boring into him. “I was… afraid your mother might have—”

“No, she didn’t,” Lotor said, stepping away. He seemed wary of the subject, and Keith found himself wondering about it. “I wouldn’t have run off if I knew what she was planning. I was… an _idiot_ , and it’s the reason she locked me in there. So, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” he said, shaking his head. He sounded so genuine that Keith was convinced that this man couldn’t possibly be at the front of the rebellion.

Lotor stepped away, out of his father’s reach. His shoulders were tense, and Keith watched his jaw tick as Zarkon’s eyes turned onto… Keith.

“So it seems you’ve brought my long lost son back to me,” he said, and something about his smile seemed off. Keith wasn’t entirely convinced that Zarkon was as genuine as his reunion led on. “I’d like to repay you, for keeping him safe.”

Keith’s ears perked up at the sound of ‘payment.’

“What did…” 

“That isn’t necessary,” Lotor interrupted. “A place to stay for a few days will suffice.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, and didn’t miss the way Zarkon did the same. Before Keith could continue, Lotor laid a hand on his shoulder and said, “It’s been a long journey. Do you think Keith could use one of the human guest chambers for tonight?”

“Yes, of course,” Zarkon said. “Please come find me after you’ve taken care of our guest. Would you like any food brought to your room?”

Keith barely opened his mouth before Lotor was declining for him and leading the way out. They walked down the length of the scarlet carpet, and Lotor smiled graciously to each of the vampires at the tables that bowed to him. Keith hurried along, trying not to let his gut twist in annoyance. Still, he couldn’t help but glower at Lotor’s back as they walked up a set of stone steps, and passed a servant along the way. 

The servant was _definitely_ human, and Keith found himself staring as they walked by one another. The human looked up from where his gaze was focused on his hands, and turned his eyes onto Keith. They both seemed equally shocked to see each other there, and Keith couldn’t help but memorize those blue eyes before he turned back to the sound of Lotor coaxing him along.

“I can’t protect you if you fall behind like that,” Lotor said, walking backwards with a grin. Keith rolled his eyes.

“I don’t need protection.”

“Based on the numbers I saw in the hall, I’d say you’d be up against a hundred vampires if you step out of line. Stick with me so nothing goes south, alright?” Lotor insisted, and when they turned the corner, Keith looked down the hall and found that the human servant was already gone.

“Yeah, says the guy who just ripped my payment right out from under me. What was that? And no food?” Keith said, unable to hide the complaint in his voice. 

“I’ll bring you food later. I can’t trust that my father won’t have the servants put something into your drink. They sometimes sedate humans if they’re new to the way things work in the castle, so that they don’t fight the bites,” Lotor explained, quietly as they climbed (yet another) set of stairs. There was a window along the way, and Keith peered through it, down to the rocky cliffs out on the ocean, shrouded in that dense mist.

“Well… then thanks, I guess,” Keith hummed. He tried not to sound too grateful, but he was. “Hope you know, though, I’ll be sticking around until you hold up your end of the bargain.”

Lotor waved a hand at him to shut him up, because a moment later, someone came through one of the corridor exits a few stories above them. Keith looked up, and was momentarily thrown off balance by the sheer _height_ and _size_ of the castle. He put a hand to his head, and trudged after Lotor down a hallway, away from the vampire hurrying down the stairs behind them.

“We can’t talk about that here,” Lotor said, turning to him. They stopped in front of a door that Keith assumed must be his. “I… A _lot_ has changed, but I’ll do my best to keep everyone off your back. Try to sleep, and I’ll come find you when I’m ready.”

“When _you’re_ ready,” Keith repeated, annoyed. “I don’t have time for this.”

“I know you don’t, but—This is a lot for me to process. And it’d mean a lot to me if you could respect that. I need time to adjust and figure all of this out,” he insisted, crossing his arms. Defensive. Keith hadn’t realized it until then, but Lotor was actually… _worried_. “I’ll talk to the human staff. Work my way around them. It’ll be difficult, but…”

“Why would it be difficult?” 

“Most… humans in the castle are assigned to a specific vampire,” he explained, looking anywhere but Keith. “I can… only guess that was my father’s idea. For your payment. To make you into a servant of mine. You’d never want for anything, but you’d be fed on once in a while.”

They both grimaced at the idea. Keith reached a hand behind his head, and glowered at his feet. He didn’t like that prospect at all. 

“Everything I do will likely be monitored. Everyone—specifically my father’s vampires—will want to know what I’m doing and where I am. Humans are a great source of information in that regard,” Lotor went on, and sighed, shoulders practically up to his pointed, elvish ears. “So please, don’t speak to anyone, and wait for me to come to you. Don’t go looking for me, in case you run into someone dangerous.”

“Fine. That sounds like a good idea,” Keith agreed. No more second-guessing Lotor, that much was certain. If he wanted to survive, he decided that he could trust this one vampire above the rest of them. Above the humans who served them. No one in this castle was trustworthy. 

Keith hadn’t exactly had a good night’s sleep for the past several _years_ , really, and this was no exception. Despite the level of comfort he was now experiencing, it was all muted by the fact that he was surrounded on all sides by vampires. It helped knowing that whatever key to this room was now in Lotor’s possession, and so when a servant came in later, he knew that it was the food Lotor sent for personally.

Keith quietly hoped for that blue-eyed human he saw earlier on the walk here, but instead, it was just a girl with wide brown eyes. She was completely silent as she set his food down and walked off. Keith’s gaze followed after her until she disappeared behind the closed door and locked it.

After a moment, Keith emerged from under the covers and reached for the tray. It was all porcelain, down to the pot of tea waiting, warm and steeping. He lifted the top of it by its small, sculpted handle. It smelled rich, and full of spices. He poured himself a small cup, though he wished he could be pouring whiskey instead.

“This’ll have to do,” he sighed. He desperately needed a drink. The past day with Lotor out on the wilderness trails had been… interesting, to say the least. He never met a guy quite like Lotor before, but perhaps the years had something to do with it. Even if time meant nothing to Lotor now, those lifetimes he lived through all led to where Lotor was now. Keith couldn’t even begin to imagine the strength behind Lotor’s knowledge. 

_He seems like a scholar,_ Keith hummed to himself. He always did love observing the university at the Altean capitol. He always wished he could attend classes there… back when he had more going for him.

He squandered all that when he decided to start hanging around thieves. 

His stomach ached for food, and as he quelled his hunger, his attention fled fast. He tried to keep his eyes open as he raised a cookie to his lips, and barely took a bite before he fell sleep on the pillows.

Sleep came fast, like a crashing wave submerging him in the current of soft, muffled noises and colorful fabrics of people surrounding him. After a moment, his attention cleared, and the shape of Lord Zarkon leant forward, bubbling in his mind’s eye. His voice echoed like that cavern Keith found Lotor locked away in.

“I have yet to give you your reward,” he said, and Keith sat up, eager at the thought. Zarkon laid a hand over Keith’s head, ruffling his fingers through his hair. “It seems that this is what you care most about. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes,” he slurred, pushing off the bed when Zarkon told him to rise.

Keith followed after the scarlet, blood-red cloak hooked over one of Zarkon’s shoulders. As it flowed with the breeze of their pace, Keith caught sight of a dizzying, golden pattern on the other side. Zarkon held a hand out to Keith, and he took it.

“There is only one reward grand enough to suffice the return of my son,” he said, leading Keith down the steps with the regal stature of a king. “All the time in the world to build your riches. Your wealth.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You would like immortality, would you not?”

“Yes, sir,” Keith said, and traveled over a dark, shadowy room lit only by the torches surrounding a bloodied fountain in the center. Zarkon led him up the steps to the ledge, and picked up a chalice sitting on the edge.

“We must mix your blood with the blood of my people,” he said, and the hand on Keith’s shoulder suddenly felt like everything he ever wanted in the entire world. He could see what immortality would bring him—the strength and power of time at his fingertips. He could spend all that time accumulating treasures and traveling the globe.

Something nicked his neck, and he didn’t think twice to question why his skin was suddenly numb, and the sensation began to spread as Zarkon dipped two fingers in the chalice blood. Zarkon laid them over the mark he made on Keith.

“I will see you on the other side, my friend,” he said, voice a mere whisper as the numbness sent Keith’s knees buckling. 

 

* * *

 

Lotor knew how much mixed breeds of vampires irritated his father, so he couldn’t comprehend the news even when Acxa relayed it to him. 

“You can’t be serious,” he breathed, rising from his desk. He grabbed a robe on the way out, and covered his pajamas as Acxa followed after him. 

“Your father carried Keith out of the fountain chamber—everyone saw him pass through the hall,” she explained. “Why would you bring a _human_ here? You know how your father is about them.”

“Yes, but—the father _I_ know would _never_ intentionally turn a human,” Lotor seethed, storming up the steps as he tied the sash around his waist and carried on. “It’s like I don’t know him anymore. Even back then I was beginning to question things…”

“You should have brought me with you,” Acxa insisted, quiet, and Lotor hesitated at the hurt in her voice. 

He paused at the second floor, and turned to where Acxa looked away for a moment. She resolved her worries and came to glare up at him. He always did respect her perseverance, her dedication to continue on as if nothing was the matter. Even when everything their people stood for was turning to shit, she stuck around. Unlike Lotor and his mother. 

“You know my mother never would have allowed you to come with us,” Lotor said, shaking his head. “It was idiotic and I shouldn’t have trusted her.”

“Perhaps we could have stopped her together. I know—She’s _powerful_ , incredibly so, but… the two of us together? Lotor, I’ve learned so much since you left. Let me help you, with whatever it is you’re doing,” she pleaded, and talk of it had Lotor clamming up. He turned away nervously, letting out a shaky sigh. Acxa deflated. “We’ll discuss it later, then. Go to your human.”

As she stormed off, Lotor slapped his arms down. As much as he loved Acxa, he hated it when she did this. “Well, he isn’t—he’s not _my_ human!” he whined, but received nothing in response. “Unbelievable,” he muttered, turning back around and heading for Keith’s room.

There were a few people loitering around, hands over their mouths as if horrified by this turn of events, as if they hadn’t expected it to happen at all. Lotor certainly hadn’t, but the display of fake concern had his throat twisting in a knot. He hoped for a few days to readjust, but this was just ridiculous. The frustration was almost too much for him to bear as he waved them all off with a curt, “Leave—the last thing he needs is you all lingering about.”

A group of them jumped, surprised to see him there. The lot of them bowed to him, and he glowered at them as they scattered. Across the hall, he recognized Sendak leaning up against a pillar, arms crossed in dissatisfaction. Lotor glared at him. He wasn’t thrilled to see any friends of his father’s at a time like this.

“Is this what father does now? Turn helpless humans,” Lotor seethed. “Where did he get the key. I took all the duplicates.”

“He has one of every key in places I don’t even know,” Sendak sighed, pushing off the wall. His golden eyes dropped down the length of Lotor’s robe, to his slippers. Lotor crossed his arms over his chest, scowling at the man.

“It wasn’t my intention for father to turn him,” Lotor hissed. “I’m just as furious about it as you are.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m _furious_ … Necessarily…” Sendak sighed, rolling his eyes. He glanced at the open door to Keith’s room, and Lotor’s attention followed. The four-poster bed lifted white curtains overhead, but they were transparent enough to see the silhouette of Keith, head tipped towards them, fast asleep. “He’s changed his view on half-vampires. The closest they can get to full vampirism is through his own bites. All Zarkon wants is an army for the insurrection.”

“As if Keith would participate in that.”

“Still on first-name basis, are we?” Sendak scoffed, backing away. Lotor bristled at the smile of amusement on Sendak’s face. “Just hope that your pet doesn’t fight back. Punishment is worse for vampires, in case you don’t remember.”

Lotor clenched his hands over his arms, digging his nails in. He was a pacifist, he knew that, but every now and then he felt like mauling someone or something just to get his unrestrained anger out of the way. It muddled his thought process, which he needed cleared for the days to come. Keith being turned was certainly a setback, but the transformation process gave him time to search around for clues his mother might have left behind.

Lotor walked into the room, breath caught in his throat as he came closer to Keith’s bedside. He hated this. His mother always taught him to appreciate humans as they were, never mingle with them. They were superior to them in everything—in knowledge, strength, magic. But, unlike his mother, he respected them. He respected their dedication to living, even if their lives were significantly shorter than that of a vampire’s. They depended on humans for survival, and he hated how his father once thought of them as cattle. 

Lotor could already smell Keith’s human qualities souring, but there was another, more potent human scent in the room. He looked up, and then over to where he sensed the heat radiating from a man at the windowsill. When their eyes met, the man squeaked a little, and ducked his face behind his book. 

“Did… Does Mister Kogane already have a human assigned to him?” Lotor said, the weight on his chest plummeting when the human nodded. “Who were you assigned to before this?”

“I wasn’t. I’ve just—I worked in the kitchen, sir,” he explained. “I haven’t been bitten. My mother was a servant.”

_This one was raised here_ , Lotor thought, blinking in surprise. There were only so many of those—any one of the vampires in his father’s court would be pleased to have an unbitten human for their own. Some vampires were known to subject their servants to alternative blood-extraction to keep them pure for as long as possible. Lotor always thought it was bullshit, and never believed in the theory that the taste of human blood turned stale after the first bite.

In other words, it was an honor to have an unbitten human assigned to a vampire.

“Would you… Would you like me to leave?” the man said, preparing to stand. Lotor waved his hand, and brought it up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“No, no. I shouldn’t even be here. It’s not as though there’s anything I can do to reverse this,” Lotor sighed, heading back to the door. “Just… please, watch after him for me? Keep him safe.” _Or as safe as you can manage_ , he thought, and was relieved by the sincerity in the man’s face as he nodded, blue eyes diligent. “Lock the door behind me.”

“Yes, sir,” he said.

As soon as Lotor closed the door behind him, he waited to hear the human’s footsteps pad across the bedroom. A moment later, the lock clicked shut, and a bolt fell in place. 

_Now… to deal with everything my mother left behind for me to deal with_ , Lotor mused. He could already feel the headache coming on.

 

* * *

 

Keith woke up to a cramp twisting his gut. He groaned as if punched, crippling forward as he clutched at his leather armor and tore at it. He couldn’t breathe, his chest was too tight. Everything seemed to collapse upon him at once—the weight of the air, the texture of the quilt, the silky curtain tearing as he grabbed at it and fell forward, off the bed. The sound of his bones hitting the rug jarred him. Everything smelled like lavender, and sweet, _sweet_ honey. It was dizzying, and he couldn’t help but clamp his hand over his nose.

_“Shit_ , what’s happening?” he gasped, and yelped as he tasted blood on his lips. His lips were scabbed, and torn up from his nervous habit of chewing on them, but this was far worse than any worrying he’d done in the past. 

Something burst like a gunshot.

He ducked, hands going to his ears as he looked for the source, and found the door creaking open. There was nothing quiet about it, or the door shutting and locking—there goes that gunshot again. Someone was humming, and it distracted him momentarily from everything else. The split second the door was open, Keith could hear voices from all the way down the corridor, echoing in his mind like the muffled edge of the voices in his dreams…

The moment the door locked, Keith became aware of that heavenly, sugary scent again, stronger. His mouth began to water before he could help himself. His stomach cramped again, and when he groaned this time, it was met with a startled shriek from the door.

“Holy shit! Oops, sorry, oh gods, I didn’t realize you were up,” the guy said, setting a tray down and hurrying around the bed to where Keith started panting. He wondered how long it’d been since he ate—he swore he ate the night before. The hunger was so unbearable, he felt like vomiting.

“What—What’s that smell?” Keith gasped, reaching for the leg that came into view. 

“I-Is it bad?” the guy squeaked. “I swear I showered earlier.”

“No, it’s not—” Keith stopped, halting at the sight of the man crouching down beside him. He came eye-to-eye with that blue-eyed servant from earlier. The two of them wondering what the other was doing in a place filled with vampires. Only… this time, the servant hardly seemed surprised to see Keith in such a panic because he realized, vividly, that the delicious smell was coming _from a human_.

“It must be a lot to process,” the man said, smiling weakly. Keith’s hand was over his mouth, where he could feel his gums aching, his mouth salivating. His tongue went numb in a matter of seconds, soaked in the chemicals that stopped humans from feeling the bite. He could hardly focus on anything other than the man’s neck, and the fact that he really was on the verge of vomiting.

“It wasn’t a dream,” he said weakly, slumping back against the bed and the torn curtain. 

The man leaned towards him, and Keith felt every cell in his body leap. When the man put his hand on Keith’s arm, it took so much effort just to stay where he was. The lingering effects of Zarkon’s magic had him thinking about his lips on this human’s neck, and the thought of his teeth sinking in became _tantalizing_ , even more so than his morals.

The man held a hand to his chest, offering an encouraging smile. Keith tried to calm his breathing, to seem less like a monster, and was reassured by this man’s certainty. 

“My name is Lance. You can think of me as your mobile food source.”

Keith found himself laughing, but it was quick to dissolve into tears. He pulled his hand away from his mouth to push away the tears, and was aware that every time he ever cried in his entire life, he couldn’t help but smile. He sniffed, and realized that crying was all he needed to clear his head, even as hungry as he was.

“My name’s Keith. And I really don’t want to do this.”

“I know—it’s difficult to get used to,” Lance said, and Keith looked down to where Lance’s thumb was soothing his wrist. “If it helps, I’m completely okay with this. I’ve heard that turned vampires have small appetites at first, so trust me when I say that you won’t lose control.”

“Sm-Small appetites, huh?” Keith hummed, smiling a little. “It doesn’t… change the fact that blood’s never been my favorite meal.”

Lance leaned forward, reaching over Keith’s lap to bring his face closer, and the smell of honey just beneath Keith’s nose. Keith let out a shuddering breath, and swallowed hard. His tongue was still numb and thick in his mouth like a wad of cotton. He was too busy focusing on holding back to realize that Lance slung a leg over his hips, and pushed himself away to look down at Keith.

He settled back in Keith’s lap, legs askew, as Keith clasped both hands over his mouth. Lance tugged on his wrists, and pulled his fingers apart. 

“It tastes different to vampires,” Lance reassured him, pressing a finger through Keith’s lips. “It won’t taste like coins in your mouth.”

Keith tried to tell him to move, but lost the words the moment something warm dripped onto his tongue. The numbness subsided, and all Keith could taste was Lance’s bloody finger, pricked on his fangs.

Lance beamed at him, and Keith felt like a child again. He was experiencing candy for the first time. He felt ignorant and embarrassed, but tempted by the taste of stealing another drop. and licking Lance’s finger clean.

“Not bad, huh?” Lance said, and when Keith nodded, Lance took the hint perfectly. The moment his neck was in range, Keith pushed forward and laved his tongue over Lance’s warm, soft skin. He mimicked the way Lotor bit his wrist. It was all he knew about how vampires fed. 

When Keith dislodged his teeth, a gush of liquid coated his tongue. It wasn’t like Lotor’s feeding, and Keith was overwhelmed by it. It wasn’t contained, it wasn’t clean, and Keith panicked as he tried to lick it all up as it oozed down Lance’s neck. To Keith’s surprise, Lance was laughing. He latched his mouth onto the open wound, and waited for the gushing to stop. _Please don’t die, please don’t die_.

Once the bleeding stopped, Keith tried unsuccessfully to clean up the mess, but Lance waved him off, smiling. “I’ll take care of it later,” he insisted. “I always thought drinking blood was instinct for vampires.”

“I’ve never _done it before_ , asshat,” Keith muttered, moving to stand, but Lance was still sitting in his lap. “Do you think… you could, um…” he started, gesturing vaguely to the current dilemma. After a moment, Lance caught on, and pushed away, rising to his feet. The moment he did, though, his eyes fluttered, and he swayed to the side. 

Keith leapt up and steadied him with a hand on his arm. “Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine, honest,” Lance said, waving a hand at him. “I just need to eat and I’ll be fine.”

“I take it that you do this often,” Keith commented as he guided Lance to the windowsill. As Lance sat, he shook his head, and Keith raised his eyebrows at him. “No as in… you don’t do this often? You live in a castle full of vampires.”

“I know, but they’re all respectful of us. I was raised here and normally work in the kitchens,” he explained. “Unbitten humans taste better, which I assume is why I was assigned to you. To make the process easier.”

Keith put a hand to his throat, and laid his fingers over the spot where he bit Lance. Where Zarkon bit him. He turned away, horrified by the realization. His eyes flickered over the room, and he noticed that the place looked far less… _vacant_ since last time. There was a bouquet of flowers on one of the dressers, and the exposed closet was filled with clothes. There were shoes by the door. Though he hadn’t focused too heavily on the state of things, the room was now dusted, and vibrant in all its colors—from the woven tapestry to the mahogany furniture.

“How… long have I been asleep?” he asked, quietly. He felt the words scrape their way up his throat, and honestly, he was unwilling to know the truth.

His hesitance was followed by silence, so he turned back to find Lance staring at him. Keith’s attention fell momentarily to the red stain on Lance’s throat, to where Lance swallowed hard. “Nearly a week,” he said. 

The hand on Keith’s throat lifted to his hair. He ran his fingers through his loose, black waves and groaned in annoyance. A _week_. He spent nearly an entire _week_ unconscious and woke up thirsting for blood. He tugged his hands down the sides of his face and groaned again, pacing away. What happened to all the plans? The plan to find the pieces of the puzzle, the portal? 

“Where’s Lotor,” Keith demanded, turning back to Lance. “Have you seen him? Do you know where he is?”

“I—Um, I don’t… I don’t know. I’m not usually allowed to talk to humans assigned to higher-status vampires,” he explained. “But it sounds like he hasn’t been talking to anyone. No one’s seen him since the day you were turned. He came to visit, but—”

“When? Why? What’d he do?” Keith hissed, and the look on Lance’s face made him consciously aware of his fangs, and how horrifying he probably looked. He caught sight of himself in the mirror by the closet, and stopped at the sight of his normally grey eyes glowing like every other vampire’s, only his color was purple. _Fluorescent_ purple.

“I- I don’t know. He came to see if you were okay… and then asked that I keep an eye on you. I haven’t seen him since he came back to give me Lord Zarkon’s key to the room.”

“The room? What room.”

“This room. Apparently he has an extra set of keys for every room in the castle. He… didn’t realize it, and it’s the reason why Lord Zarkon was able to get in here in the first place. To turn you,” Lance explained, and Keith put his hands over his face to hide his frustration from Lance. He didn’t want to look like a monster in front of another human. He didn’t want to look or _act_ like a vampire. “And… no one bothers me anymore. None of the humans, I mean. Everyone seems to be keeping their distance. Vampires might like to gossip, but they aren’t exactly… thrilled about Lord Zarkon turning so many humans.”

“How many has he turned?”

“Something like twenty in the past decade. It may not seem like a lot, compared to how many humans there are, but… most vampires are significantly stronger than us. You might even say that one vampire is the equivalent of five humans put together,” Lance said, and it was the main reason why Keith hated being in the castle. He’d been wary before Lotor promised to protect him, but now he was stuck with the judgement of them all without Lotor there to buffer it. 

“Did he… Did he say anything? When’s he coming back?” Keith asked, and Lance shrugged, worrying his hands in his shirt. 

“He didn’t say. He said that you should stay in here until he’s able to come back. He didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t… think to ask. Are you two…? You know?” Lance asked, and the question expelled the worry from Keith’s mind for a moment. 

He flushed, and glared at Lance. “No, of course not. I just—I mean, he seems nice and all, but I only saved him because…” _Don’t talk to anyone_. Lotor’s warnings came back to him. He stopped, and wondered if Lance said all that to make himself seem trustworthy. Everything Keith said could be going straight back to Zarkon. 

“It was stupid. I was stupid,” he said instead, aware that he sounded a lot like Lotor lamenting the fact that he went along with his mother’s wishes. “And now because of it, I’m… stuck in eternity.”

He collapsed on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. Everything was so sensitive—his emotions, his skin, his ears, his eyes. His smell. His smell was the most prominent out of all of the changes that weren’t physical, and its range was incredible. Rather than hear, he _smelled_ Lance’s honey-filled aroma strengthen. He was coming closer, until everything in Keith’s world revolved around the blood pulsing under the hand Lance laid on his shoulder as he came to sit beside Keith.

“Can we… just be two humans? I don’t… I don’t want you to treat me like one of them,” Keith said. 

“I figured,” Lance said. “It’s a lot to process. Come here.” 

Keith let Lance gently tug him to the side. He turned to nestle his forehead against Lance’s boney shoulder as Lance’s arms wrapped around his neck. Keith’s insides fluttered at the sheer warmth of Lance’s comfort, and tried not to cry as his emotions skewed again. He reminded himself that he had nothing going for him aside from the prospects of bringing information back to the King. And if he couldn’t do that… then he’d be worth nothing.

He clutched his hands to Lance, hooking his fingers over Lance’s shoulders. He told himself, _For once, just stop thinking_.

_It’s never done you any good anyways_.

 

* * *

 

Lotor’s head ached from reading all night. His anxiety over Keith was enough to keep going, though. The sooner he went through all of his mother’s journals, the sooner Keith could leave. Life would be different for him, though—Lotor couldn’t sugarcoat it. People will shun him, and it would all be because Lotor was stupid enough to trust that Keith wouldn’t get involved. Yet there they both were.

_His transition period is probably finishing up soon_ , he mused, looking to the clock resting on his mother’s desk. He then turned around, chair creaking, as he looked to his mother’s wall of books, and of the remaining shelf of journals he still had to sort through.

Her laboratory was just as quiet as this entire tower in the castle. It was just as they both left it—vacant and crumbling bit by bit. The severe lack of sunlight and her enchantments aided in keeping the journals safe all these years, and Lotor was certain that there was a reason she left them behind. He hoped desperately that she hadn’t taken his one clue away with her. 

His fingers went to his bracelet. It was the one clue Honerva left him, aside from the knowledge that wherever he could open the portal, it involved the castle. The last place she would have trusted to keep such a secret. 

_I wonder what makes this place so special_ , he wondered, eyes going to the high, vaulted ceiling. 

It was day again, that much was clear from the crack in the ceiling.

He stood and stacked up the journals he was currently pursuing. It was all full of topics surrounding corpses, reanimated ones, and detailed sketches of their anatomy from dissections. As much as Lotor’s stomach churned at the thought of disintegrated corpses, he couldn’t afford to skip over anything. If his father ever got ahold of these journals, he wouldn’t hold back either. Zarkon’s quest for the portal was grander than this.

Lotor walked over to the satchel he brought with him, filled with a dosage of blood for his appetite, and comfort materials such as a weak pillow and a blanket. He’d be back soon, though, so he left those on the chair and slung the strap over his shoulder. As he left, he waved his hands towards the table near him. The candle light flickered out, and as the cold reached it, the seeping candle wax turned hard against the wooden surface.

This section of the castle was decommissioned long before Lotor was ever born, and long before Honerva turned it into her laboratory. The entrance to it tunneled through the broken, shattered hall that once hosted powerful vampires that were wiped out near the start of his father’s reign. It was assumed that Zarkon had been superior enough to do it himself, but Lotor was always skeptical. His mother always said he had a knack for questioning things.

_I guess that’s why she respected me enough to lock me away instead of kill me_ , he thought, reminded of the remorse on Honerva’s face when she sealed the cracks in the pillar, trapping him in darkness. Her enchantment made it impossible for him to break through, but over time, it weakened, but by then he was too malnourished to wake up. A century without human blood pitched him into a deep, stone-like sleep that could only be awoken by the aroma of fresh blood. It triggered his survival instincts, and was the reason why he was able to break through the weakened barrier in the first place.

_Keith saved my life. And I couldn’t be bothered to reciprocate that_ , he thought, brow tense. He shook his head, insisting that he couldn’t possibly foresee everything. He needed to stop feeling guilty about this and move on. It was what Keith needed to do, too.

Lotor hurried onwards, and approached a barrier of broken columns. They crumbled long ago, denting the staircase and leaving Lotor with only a narrow gap to squeeze through. He climbed over, and arrived on the other side. There was a stone pushed in front of the tower entrance that he moved, and pulled back into place once he snuck through to the other side. 

He walked beneath a skylight, boots passing over vines and grass that grew through the cracks of the tiles. A crow was posted at the edge of it, on one of the grumbled walls. Its eyes followed Lotor, and he turned away. He couldn’t be certain about which vampire owned it, but crows tended to only take note of things if they had a face. As long as Lotor kept his eyes down and away, nothing would be reported back. Ravens were different, though.

A mist broke through one of the crumbled walls in the demolished main hall in the tower, and clouded Lotor’s tracks as he walked. Once he came to the stairs leading out of the tower, it wasn’t long before he arrived in the courtyard where he and his mother once harvested ingredients for potions. It was long since overgrown, and he sighed, realizing that no one aside from him cared enough about it to keep it tame. 

His boots clicked across the stone ledge surrounding the spiral staircase. He wasn’t familiar with the magic Honerva used for the entrance, but he knew that everything about his mother revolved around the beaded bracelet of his. He dislodged one of the pearls he left behind to hold open the entrance. The moment it was gone from the first step, the panels lifted, and sealed the entrance in a groan of unused gears and mechanisms.

He unlatched his bracelet and slipped the pearl back into place. 

Just as he did, he jumped at the sound of one of the courtyard doors opening and closing. He stepped away from the central sculpture in the garden, the one that covered the entrance. It was shaped like a sundial, and worked as one too. Ages ago, his mother commissioned it from an artist on the mainland. His father thought it was gaudy and useless.

“I was hoping I’d find you here,” Acxa’s voice spoke up. “I haven’t seen you in a few days. Your father’s worried you haven’t been eating.”

“I’m perfectly fine,” he said, sharply, because he could smell the human Acxa brought with her. He glared sharply at Acxa, and then at the human girl who seemed hardly alarmed by their conversation. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“You spent a century without blood. Don’t you miss it at all?” she asked, throwing her arms down in frustration. “Nothing’s changed with you!”

“And everything’s changed with you,” Lotor sighed, twisting his hands around the strap of his satchel. 

Acxa looked down, rubbing a hand over her forehead. She brushed her inky black hair back, and raised her eyes up to his. “Is that why you’ve been gone? Are you avoiding me, is that it?”

“Acxa…”

“Because I missed you. _So_ much,” she insisted, and the emotion in her voice had Lotor’s shoulders tensing. “You meant everything to me! Please, let me help you—”

“I don’t need help, thank you,” he whispered, staring down at the moss splitting the stone walkway apart. “I just need some time alone, that’s all.”

He turned to take a seat at one of the stone ledges. He hopped up onto it, and waited as Acxa walked over and jumped up beside him. She gestured for the human to come nearer. 

“This is Ezor. She’s been with me for thirty years now,” Acxa said.

Lotor glanced over at Ezor. He could see her smile lines, and how bright her eyes were. “You must mean a lot to her if she’s keeping track,” he told her, and Ezor laughed.

“I like to think that’s the case, sir,” she said. “I was an idiot as a teenager. Acxa helped me through it. She’s very wise.”

Lotor smiled and reached a hand out to her. Ezor shook it, and Lotor was relieved that Acxa had moved on. He worried over her plenty as he waited for sleep all those years ago.

“You mentioned that you’ve been studying,” he said, turning back to Acxa.

“Yes—you mentioned your mother studied blood magic,” she said, and instantly Lotor was groaning, rolling his head back. “Not that I’m _practicing_ it! By any means! I just know a great deal more about the subject than I did before. Because… I know you’re trying to find her. And I tried for a _long_ time to find her myself, but I had no clue where to begin. This was the best I could manage, for if you ever came back. Or for when I found you.”

Lotor didn’t say it aloud, because his heart was humming from the happiness of being loved. Acxa planned on finding him. He wasn’t sure how, but it was reassuring. 

“Where were you all this time?” she asked, tipping forward to get a clear look at Lotor’s face. Ezor jumped up to sit beside her as Lotor turned his eye to the cloudy skies. 

“There’s this… cavern on the mainland, in the mountains off of the coast. Where the pentagon column of The Five Sides of Vinia is,” he said, and Acxa gasped.

“I’ve _been there_. You were in there the whole time?”

“In the pillar at the center of it,” he said. Acxa’s jaw dropped, and she clutched a hand to her throat in astonishment. In the midst of this, though, they were distracted by the sound of a branch snapping behind them. Lotor glanced over his shoulder to where Ezor’s arm was stretched out, picking flowers off of the vine. She hesitated, met Lotor’s eyes, and continued plucking them before settling them on her lap. She began to weave them together. 

Acxa took one of the flowers and twirled it between her fingers. “I never thought to look into vampiric temples. I wonder what the significance of Vinia is?”

Lotor knew, but he also knew not to get into necromancy with Acxa. “No clue. My mother was into dark magic.”

“She’s rotten for dragging you into it,” she hissed, plucking a leaf from the stem before handing the flower back to Ezor. 

Ezor tied off the ring of flowers, and lifted it up to Acxa. Acxa took it, and placed it onto Lotor’s head. The violet flowers reminded Lotor of Keith’s aura, and how great the contrast was from his own white essence.

Lotor reached a hand up to it as Acxa jumped from the ledge, and helped Ezor down after her. “We’ll be off, then. Please, come talk to me if you need someone to listen.”

“Of course.” He wouldn’t.

Acxa hesitated, sensing the lie. She pulled her hand away from Ezor to turn back to where Lotor was fiddling with the flower crown. “You know you can trust me, right?” she asked, and Lotor nodded. “Well, okay then. See you around.” 

Lotor waited on the ledge until Acxa and Ezor were long gone down a different stairway than the one he planned to take. He looked around to the vacant balcony off of the broken tower, a stone’s throw away from the farthest courtyard wall. He jumped down from the ledge and started his walk back to the room everyone expected him to be in. Back to society to check in on Keith. Back to dealing with everyone’s bullshit so that he could disappear for another few days without being questioned incessantly. 

He wasn’t lying, though. He really couldn’t stand chatter with his father’s court any longer than necessary. Just speaking with his father was enough to exhaust his mental capacity for tolerance. Keith wasn’t nearly as exhausting as Lotor tended to think some humans were. Keith had been quiet during their journey, and their mutual silence was comfortable. They coexisted, and it resembled how Lotor wished vampires and humans to live together. 

The exhaustion of spending the last several days staring at faint words on pages started to weigh on him. It triggered the memory of trying to stay awake in the pillar before sleep took over. That first ache of hunger, and how it built into panic—his fear of falling asleep again had him scrambling for the bottle in his satchel. 

One of the journals fell out as he reached his corridor. 

He cursed at the sound, vial clenched in one fist. Before he could pick it up, someone came up beside him and lifted it up. Lotor jumped, startled, and realized that it was just—

“Keith!” Lotor cried, clutching the vial to his chest. Keith looked… _different_ from last time, and Lotor realized that it had to do with the prominence of his vampiric aura. It showed through in his violet eyes that flickered down to the blood in Lotor’s hands, and then to his forehead. Lotor reached a hand up, touching the flowers resting there.

“Hey,” he said. “What’re you… up to?”

“Nothing,” he said, snatching the journal out of Keith’s hand. He stuffed it into his bag. “You’re awake, and that’s all that matters. How are you feeling? Is that boy with you?”

“You mean Lance?” Keith said, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, he was just—”

They heard the human’s footsteps hurrying up the stairs, breath panting. They both turned back to the stairwell where the human boy, Lance, put a hand on the wall and waved at them dismissively. 

“You just—ran off. Difficult to keep up,” he said, laughing. Lotor smiled at him, and then at Keith, who seemed at ease in his human’s presence. It was all Lotor could ask for, considering the state of Keith’s life now.

“I’d like to apologize for allowing this to happen,” Lotor said, discretely putting the blood back into his bag. “I shouldn’t have been so selfish.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say you’re _selfish_ ,” Keith scoffed, crossing his arms. His eyes slid over to Lance, who joined them in the archway. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for _you_. And… my life isn’t the one that’s important here. Could we talk about it?”

Lotor blinked owlishly at him, and then at the human, who seemed innocent aside from the fact that he was a human raised among vampires. He couldn’t be trusted, not in the least. 

Keith took the hint.

“Lance, why don’t you get something to eat? I need to talk with Lotor about something,” he said, nodding vaguely to where Lotor stood, arms crossed. 

Lance looked between the both of them, and let out a tired sigh. “But I just ran all the way up here, and… I’m supposed to stick with you…” he started, and Lotor saw the look on his face before. With other humans assigned to half-vampires. 

He should have realized it sooner, especially with an unbitten human. _Father did this on purpose, didn’t he?_ Lotor moaned internally. He didn’t come across unbitten humans raised by vampires often, but first bites tended to be cemented as the most significant event in their lives. Lance was raised to cherish the thought of his first bite, and the vampire who gave it to him. Not only was he shunned by the other humans, but he was entirely devoted to Keith whether he knew it or not. Vampiric powers aside, Lance was stuck with Keith, just as Keith was stuck with Lance. 

“I know I told you to keep an eye on him,” Lotor started, drawing Lance’s pleading eyes up to him, “but I promise not to abandon him again. You can trust me to keep my eye on him this time around.”

Lance stared at him for a moment, and then to Keith, who seemed embarrassed by the entire ordeal. His ears were flushed as Lance addressed him. “Call me if you need anything,” Lance said, and Keith nodded mutely. With that, Lance was off, hurrying back down the steps he ran up no more than a minute before. 

Lotor laid a hand on Keith’s shoulder and led the way through the atrium, and down the corridor to his room. They walked in silence, and Lotor quietly reveled in the ease of not being hated for his actions. He clutched a hand to his chest as they approached his door, and he lifted a key from his the chain around his neck. The pearls on his wrist slipped down his arm as he did so. 

Once they were behind the safety of his door, Lotor locked the door and searched the room in the obvious places—under the bed, in the closet, behind the curtains. He shut the windows and the balcony door in case any birds happened to drop by just as they began talking. 

“Where were you this past week? Lance said no one’s seen you since the day I was turned,” Keith said.

“I wouldn’t trust a word that human tells you,” Lotor said sharply. “Unbitten humans are clingy and he’ll use it as an excuse to weasel information out of you. We can’t trust him.”

Keith crossed his arms, glaring bitterly at the window. After a moment of radiating negative energy, Keith bit out, “ _Fine_. Okay, whatever. But it wasn’t like _you_ were there when I woke up. Lance has been more helpful than you in that regard.”

“Excuse me? I’ve been researching information on the portal this entire time,” Lotor said. “And I know your transformation is a setback, but if it’s going to continue to be a problem—”

“It won’t—I promise. Sorry for being such an asshole,” Keith said, but his clipped tone reminded Lotor that Keith was still just a human at heart. Young, impulsive, and experiencing perhaps the first major trauma of his life. 

“I won’t pretend like I’m understanding of human emotions and turmoil,” Lotor said at last, looking down at his hands as he pulled his satchel off, over his head. “So I apologize in advance if I ever come off as inconsiderate. That isn’t my intention.”

“I know. But can we just get on with this? I don’t need a lecture,” Keith said. “Just… get to the point. What have you found out?”

Lotor glanced at him, gauging whether or not Keith was serious about skipping over this discussion. They were different creatures still. It’d take an immeasurable amount of time for Keith to come to terms with everything, but for now, the full shock of eternity had yet to settle in.

“Right, well,” he said, clearing his throat. “Nothing much, but I know that everything we need is in my mother’s laboratory. She kept it hidden from everyone in the court, including my father. I’ve spent the past week reading through all of her journals, looking for the ingredients—”

“Ingredients? Like… we’re baking bread or something?”

“Yes, sort of,” Lotor said, smiling at the analogy. “I have the last step in the instructions already—it’s a bracelet my mother gave me.”

He lifted his wrist up to Keith, who stepped closer to see it. Keith reached out for it, at which point Lotor pulled his hand away, grinning. “As if I would let you handle these. I don’t know their exact effects, but they seem to operate on another plane of existence that manipulates our world. The entrance to my mother’s laboratory requires the use of one of these.”

“What do you mean?”

“It creates… openings from one level to another in our dimension. Such as… say we wished to go from this floor to the next, but there was no way out of this room. By resting my bracelet on the floor, an opening would be created.”

“That’s… honestly incredible,” Keith said, laughing. “Have you ever wondered how much it’s worth?”

“Priceless, I’m sure, especially for thieves like you,” Lotor said, smirking when Keith’s ears turned pink once again. “I’ll trust that the result of our experiment will fetch a better reward.”

Keith grinned, waving his hands. “Sure, fine. I’m good with that. Shouldn’t this be all we need to open the portal?”

“No, and if we screw up the process, we might both lose our lives. Then someone else will get the chance to learn from our mistakes and actually succeed. It’s best that we go about this cautiously to avoid that outcome,” Lotor explained, pulling books out of his satchel as he spoke. “I take it you know how to read?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then you might be of some use with this after all,” he hummed, and gestured for Keith to come closer. “I’ve had to translate some of these, especially since the ink is starting to wear. I can’t take the original copies out of the laboratory—she has an enchantment on them that helps them maintain their shape. If they cross the boundary…”

“They’ll crumble. Shit, how old are the originals?”

“Half a millennia, possibly,” Lotor said, rubbing a hand over his chin. “I have no clue how far back her research goes. It’s best to assume that the newer editions are the ones we should be looking for. She acted as soon as she knew what to do.”

“So we’re looking at journals from a little over a century ago?”

“Exactly.”

“Wow… I still can’t believe you were alive then. It’s difficult to wrap my head around it,” Keith said, laughing as he picked up one of the journals. “And… this is your handwriting? I’m impressed.”

“I’ve perfected it,” Lotor said, grinning. “It also helps that my hands don’t tire. Only my eyes do once in a while. It’s the reason I came back here to get you. It’s best if we work ‘round the clock on this. I have to take a break, but I’ll be working on other things.”

Keith looked up from the pages to watch Lotor pass him, and head for his closet. “What will you be working on?” Keith asked.

“Well, first, I should really bathe. When I get back we’ll be going to the laboratory. It’s been a century since I practice fighting. I’ll need to refresh my memory for when we succeed.”

“And… what’s the plan for that exactly? We aren’t… _going_ to The Other Side, are we?” Keith said.

“You aren’t obligated, but I am. If my mother made it there, that’s where I’ll find her,” he explained, folding a fresh set of clothes over one arm. Keith was staring at him with those wide, violet eyes that had Lotor smiling again. The alarm was endearing. “Please, don’t worry about me. I’ll be back in a moment.”

As he turned away, he had the satisfaction of hearing Keith sputter, “I’m not—! I’m not _worrying_ about you!” Lotor laughed as he walked out the door and shut it behind him. A moment later, the lock clicked.

_Might as well read while I’m waiting_ , he thought, and prepared to sit at the windowsill. Just as he was settled in and turned to page one, a knock sounded on the door. 

He remembered Lotor’s warnings about everything and everyone in the castle, but he couldn’t help his curiosity as he stepped silently over to the door. He was used to passing quietly by—thieves tended to be skilled in this—so he wasn’t surprised when the visitor didn’t realize that he was just on the other side of the door when they hissed, slightly louder than necessary, “ _Keith_ , are you in there?”

Keith rolled his eyes. It was just Lance. It was difficult _not_ to be friends, especially after Keith cried in front of the guy. 

Without thinking, he unlocked the door and pulled it open. Lance was standing there, looking delighted to see Keith. Keith eyed him wearily and gestured for Lance to come in.

“Is… Lord Lotor here, though?” he asked, peering in.

Keith scoffed. “No, he’s cleaning up. And it sounds weird when you say ‘Lord Lotor.’”

“Then what were you doing locked in here?” he asked, wandering ahead of Keith as he closed the door and locked it behind them. Keith’s attention was quick to shift the second Lance flicked a page over in the journal. “Is this—?”

“Private!” Keith squeaked, waving Lance away. He pulled Lance by the back of the shirt when he didn’t relent, and yanked the journal out of his hands. “ _Private_. These aren’t even _mine_.”

“Are they… Lotor’s then? It looks like—”

“I don’t care, and neither should you.” _Lotor will wring my neck if he finds out Lance was even in here_ , he realized belatedly, and bristled when Lance went for Lotor’s satchel next. “ _Lance_!” he hissed.

“It’s _necromancy_ , though,” he insisted. “This is… this all looks… research on the passage of souls. Where do you think he found this?” 

“It’s none of our business,” Keith said, insides sparking as Lance continued to flip through the pages. He plucked journal after journal out of Lance’s hands until he was left carrying eight, and Lance carried none.

Lance took the hint then and wandered over to the windowsill where he sat and moped. Keith groaned and set the journals aside. Keith’s chest ached every time he came close to Lance, and he blamed it on the sheer amount of restraint it took to keep his fangs to himself. Still, he crept closer, and sat across from Lance. Lance pulled his leg up so that his knee brushed into Keith’s foot. 

Keith wrapped his arm around his legs, knees pulled up to his chest. He pushed his nose against his legs, trying to muffle the smells he still wasn’t quite on board with yet. Lance studied him for a moment before asking:

“Are you still hungry?”

“No. No, I’m fine,” Keith said quickly, turning nauseous at the thought of biting Lance again. As much as he loved it… it felt unethical, and all levels of wrong. The only way he could force himself to do that again was if he was out of his mind with hunger, like last time, so he could forget about the consequences to his morality.

“I’m here, whenever you are,” Lance insisted, and it almost felt like he was _pressuring_ Keith. The eagerness on his face said it all.

It was this that made Keith realize that he wasn’t surrounded by humans at all. Lance was nothing like the people Keith knew and talked to on a daily basis. He was raised by vampires, not humans. He wasn’t raised to view this task as torturous, as most _normal_ humans did.

“Can we please stop talking about it?” Keith whispered. 

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Gods, Lance, just lay off. Why do you want me to bite you so badly?” he remarked, unintentionally sharp. Lance leant back, alarmed, and turned his wide, blue eyes towards the window. “I… shouldn’t have phrased it like that.”

“I always wondered what it would feel like,” Lance said, and Keith looked up at his profile. His smooth, brown skin was so incredibly alluring. Keith’s fingers tensed on his legs, clenching at the fabric. Lance looked down at the window frame and picked at some dried paint settled there. “Almost everyone I ever talked to who’s human has been bitten. They… don’t really know what a first time is like anymore. They’ve been bit so many times that it’s just like every other time, you know?”

“Not really,” Keith confessed quietly, and watched curiously as Lance looked at him. “I had never been bit before I saved Lotor. It wasn’t all that remarkable.”

“Lotor bit you?” Lance said, surprised. Keith nodded, and pointed to his wrist where the mark should have been. Vampires were able to speed up the healing process, and Keith realized then that he could still see the half-moon of his bite on Lance’s neck. It was light pink against his brown skin. 

“I—I’m sorry, I must not have healed you properly,” Keith said, wincing as he reached a finger out to touch the mark. 

“Oh! Oh, I thought you did this on purpose,” Lance confessed, laughing a little. “I don’t mind. I love it—I want to keep it, if that’s all right with you.”

Keith’s fingers hesitated, just barely grazing the surface of the scar when he met Lance’s hopeful eyes. He’d never heard such an intimate thing, from someone so innocent and breathtaking. Lance’s organic beauty was so different from Lotor’s porcelain skin that Keith found himself flushing, and laughing at the sheer tenderness of Lance’s voice. 

“I’m… glad you like it then,” he said, chuckling a little. Lance smiled, and laid his hand over the mark, flattening Keith’s fingers over it so he could feel the moment he and Lance teamed up for good. One-and-a-half humans against a island full of vampires.

What could go wrong?

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you've played this storyline in Skyrim, then you 10/10 know where I'm goin with this. For now it'll be just this one part until I know exactly how the second part'll play out.
> 
> [My Tumblr](http://girlskylark.tumblr.com/)


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